Penn State ComMedia News Storieshttp://commedia.psu.edu/news
News stories created by students in the College of Communications.enwag5000@psu.eduCopyright 20182018-03-19T13:58:39+00:00First Centre County Medical Marijuana Dispensary Coming To State Collegehttp://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/first-pa-medical-marijuana-dispensary-coming-to-state-college
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/first-pa-medical-marijuana-dispensary-coming-to-state-college

Servers balance plates and pile one dish on top of another to give customers a small taste of everything at The Corner Restaurant located along King George Street in Jerusalem. Customers can choose to let the waiters decide what they will eat for lunch that day. The quick service, tasty food, and serendipitous meal are main attractions of The Corner Restaurant.

Meir Micha, the owner of the critically acclaimed restaurant, is a lively character eager to have his customers try new foods and share the history of Israeli cuisine.

“This type of food actually comes from many different nations,” Micha said. “Every nation brings something different, but now, it is Israeli food. The black lentils, and many other popular dishes, come from the Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews.”

Micha referred to when the Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews returned to Israel after they were scattered all over the globe during the Diaspora. With the establishment of the state of Israel, they brought their culture and food from Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, and many other countries.

“Asking ‘does Israel have its own unique cuisine?’ is the billion dollar question,” Micha said.

Micha said Arabs argue they brought hummus and falafel, but he claims the Ashkenazi brought these dishes when they returned to Israel. They also brought lox, chicken soup, and chopped liver.

During the early 1900’s, Jews immigrating from central Europe brought schnitzel and strudels, while Russian Jews brought herring dishes.

Because the country is just shy of 70 years old, other nations largely influenced Israel’s cuisine since it is too young to have its own. Despite this, Micha said Israel claims their cuisine is part of their identity.

“Because we came from all different nations to Israel,” Micha said. “We took their cuisine with us. But now, in the last 20 years, the Israelis make the food our own. Now, our food is all over Europe, all over America.”

Micha said Israelis have taken Mediterranean dishes and the influences from other Middle Eastern countries and added their own touch, such as adding new kinds of fruits and vegetables they gained access to after the agricultural revolution. They also use kosher wine to cook and use more ‘Kibbutz foods,’ which consist of various types of cheeses, yogurt, salads, olives, hardboiled eggs, and bread. Adding these personal styles makes the cuisine recognizable to any Israeli.

03.10.2018

~ by Alyssa Cichy

Shoe designer Kobi Levi is known to push the boundaries of shoe design. He gained overnight success because of a famous fan.

Kobi Levi discusses his creative process for designing shoes in his studio in Tel Aviv, Israel. Levi has made shoes for Lady Gaga among other clients. ~ photo by Giana Han

In own words:

"I’ve always been passionate about art. I’ve always wanted to know how things were made. When I was a kid I went to an amusement park and I looked at a statue to see how it’s built and made. Since then, I knew I wanted to become an artist. I studied art and design in Jerusalem. After graduation, I went on to work as a freelance shoe designer.

"Later, I decided to upload my footwear creations online and that’s when things exploded. I received an email from Lady Gaga’s stylist asking to borrow my ‘Double Boot’ shoe design for her ‘Born this Way’ music video. I was very surprised because I didn’t know things could happen this way. I was just making my shoes in a small room in my apartment in Tel Aviv. I thought my friends were just fooling with me but it turns out Lady Gaga’s stylist did see my designs online. I knew that if anyone could pull off my shoe designs it was Lady Gaga.

"Eventually, I thought my overnight success was going to pass. But it didn’t. I decided to open a studio and an online shop.

"As a shoe designer, I use iconic images or objects that everybody can relate to. Everybody sees them and knows them but most of the time don’t notice them. It’s there. It’s part of our life. It can be very ordinary but now it’s shown in a different light. One of my designs is a shoe that’s stepping on chewing gum. I just froze that motion of the chewing gum stretched out from the floor to the heel and it became a high-heeled shoe technique. It’s a crazy thing in a way but it’s funny. I enjoy designing shoes. The humor is part of it. It’s not a very serious job for me."

03.10.2018

~ by Alex Bobbyn

In one shop-lined passageway of Jerusalem’s Old City, a Penn Stater who yells “We Are…” might get the response: “Alabama!” Old City shops are known for pulling in visitors with their Jerusalem-themed clothing and crafts. One shop, however, stands out from the rest.

It’s titled ‘Alabama – The Heart of Dixie’, and is located in between the Christian and Armenian Quarter of the Old City. Its owner is Palestinian-born Hani Imam, who is forever connected with the University of Alabama.

Hani Iman, Palestinian-born owner of the Alabama Shop, located on David Street in the Old City. Iman is a proud graduate of the University of Alabama and said Alabama related gifts have been good for business. “Roll Tide,” Iman said. ~ photo by Kat Procyk

“I was there in the mid-80s from ’85 to ’89,” Imam said. “We also have another brother that still lives in the States who graduated from there.”

Imam’s shop wasn’t always dressed in the crimson, gray and white colors of his alma mater. In the beginning, it had a single Alabama sign. It was there to remind Imam of his ties to Tuscaloosa and his fervent love of the school.

“I’m a loyal fan, and I love the state of Alabama,” Imam said. “Everybody started asking questions. That’s when I started making t-shirts and shot glasses and all kinds of tiles, and a lot of Alabama stuff.”

‘Roll Tide’ is written across many of the shirts, glasses and tiles, translated from English to both Hebrew and Arabic. Along with the Alabama-themed items, there are wooden crosses, silver and gold jewelry, and pieces of framed Roman glass.

While the clash of cultures may seem odd at first glance, it hasn’t hurt business for Imam. His shop attracts customers from all over the world, especially Americans.

“We’re just big Alabama fans,” Imam proudly said. “Roll Tide!”

03.10.2018

~ by Alison Kuznitz

Leading a Jewish student organization in the Jewish state can be a redundant endeavor.

But Hillel at Tel Aviv University isn’t meant to be a “home away from home” for Jewish undergraduates. That’s the role of its 550 counterpart Jewish campus centers in North America, with the entire global network dedicated to providing religious and leadership resources.

The 30,000 students at this public research school won’t have trouble making Jewish friends or finding a space to celebrate the Sabbath, admits Keren Dicastro, the Hillel director. Still, she faces distinctly Jewish hurdles, which ripple across the seven other Hillel International spaces established in Israel.

“There is a lot of disconnection between the average students — the secular students — and the Jewish story. We are trying to give platforms to Israeli students to explore their Jewish identity and Jewish story,” Discastro said.

According to a 2016 Pew Research Center poll, more than 40 percent of Israelis are secular Jews, who may celebrate some major holidays but do not necessarily follow religious law.

Meanwhile, 18 percent of Israelis are ultra-Orthodox or religious, representing a more pervasive Jewish lifestyle that dictates observing the Sabbath, adhering to dietary restrictions and dressing modestly, among other elements.

Hillel at TAU offers two main programs, serving about 20 students.

Keren Dicastro, the Hillel director in Tel Aviv. ~ photo provided

Once a week, students can spend time with Holocaust survivors, preserving memories of Jewish communities before and during World War II. There’s also an innovation initiative, comprised of Russian-speaking students. Some of their methods of self-discovery lead to campus events, including a poetry slam.

Second-year student Carmelle Bargad, who’s originally from New Jersey, participates in the volunteer-based “Remember and Respect” project.

“Obviously, the Holocaust is a very big part of our Jewish identity as a nation,” Bargad said. “It does bring me closer to my Judaism.”

Dicastro, who works alongside just two part-time coordinators, said her goal is to increase Hillel’s presence at TAU. Yet, it wouldn’t mimic the programming of Penn State Hillel, for example, with its weekly Shabbat dinners and student leadership boards.

“The biggest difference here is that students don’t know about Hillel,” Discastro said. “I’m surprised when students come and ask about Hillel.”

Part of the challenge is the baggage modern Jewish students carry — and the “bad feelings” they harbor toward their faith.

“For them, being Israeli is enough,” Discastro said. “For them, Judaism is those religious people who prevent them from having public transportation on Shabbat or prevent their gay friend from getting married.”

It’s a worrisome thought to people like Dicastro, who has devoted more than 10 years to educating Jewish youth through informal settings, including serving as an Israeli emissary in the United States through the Jewish Agency.

To Alon Friedman, the director general of Hillel Israel, the detachment from religion could lead to “horrific” consequences in which the country “isn’t Jewish enough.”

In 2012, Hillel Israel launched a new global strategy to combat this, one that would connect Israeli college students with Jewish life abroad.

“They can understand there is another 2,000 years of history — not just 70 years,” Friedman said.

As for Dicastro, she said she intends to remain true to Hillel International’s vision of “inspiring Jewish students.”
“There is a wave of people who want to be more involved,” she said, “but it’s still a very small and very specific audience.”

03.10.2018

~ by Olivia Hogan

On Mondays and Thursdays in the Old City of Jerusalem, Jewish families celebrate the coming of age of their sons as part of the traditional Bar Mitzvah ceremony and parade through the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.

“Every Shabbat, Monday and Thursday, Jews read from the Torah (the five books of Moses). Each week it is a different section. On Saturday, we read the whole section. On Mondays and Thursdays, we just read part of the section. When you read from the Torah, you have an opportunity to be called up for an honor. This honor forms the central part of the Bar Mitzvah ceremony. So basically, you can celebrate a Bar Mitzvah (or a Bat Mitzvah if you aren’t Orthodox) on a Saturday, Monday or Thursday. The problem with doing this on a Saturday is that you can’t take pictures. So in Israel, you end up having a lot of Bar Mitzvahs at the Western Wall on Mondays. Jews from all over the country (even from all over the world) come to this sacred place to observe this traditional ritual when a boy turns 13.”

03.07.2018

~ by Giana Han

A woman with a white veil over her head stood with her face pressed against the entry way of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Just inside the doorway, worshippers knelt facedown on the Stone of Anointing, which, according to tradition, is where the body of Jesus was prepared for burial.
Throughout the entire church, the enormity of the events said to have happened here more than two thousand years ago was reflected in the reverential awe of the faithful.

A worshiper pauses by the votive candles in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Israel on Sunday, March 4, 2018. ~ photo by Giana Han

In countries like Spain and France, many churches and cathedrals are much grander and more beautiful than the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Its outer walls have no adornment, and the immense size of the building is not immediately apparent since it’s buried amid in the cobblestone streets of Old Jerusalem.
Inside, there are no Renaissance paintings, sculptures or murals. The fanciest adornments are the lanterns hanging in the doorway.
Yet the other churches, as beautiful as they are, cannot claim to be the place where Christianity began. The stark, uneven walls of the Holy Sepulchre are said to be built on the site where Jesus was buried and resurrected after being crucified on Cavalry Hill nearby.
The religious significance of the Holy Sepulchre transcends the divisions in the Christian church, at least in the moment. Every day, Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox and members of Protestant denominations come together to pray at one of the most sacred sites in Christiandom.
On a Sunday morning in early March, a diverse group of visitors stood side by side, waiting for their moment to see Christ’s Tomb, where they believe Jesus was buried before he rose from the dead.
From the many different arched recesses surrounding the tomb, monks and other groups of religious men emerged, swinging incense and chanting before disappearing back down one of the many hallways.
Instead of a large congregational area, services and ceremonies were performed in different corners of the church.
In one small chapel, a group of Italian tourists gathered for a Mass in their own language.
Although the priest officially celebrated the Mass, the real leader was a little old Italian lady who led the singing as loudly and as long as she wanted.
The sound of their voices, unaccompanied by instruments, reverberated through the chapel.
For centuries, divisions among Christians were so bitter that a Muslim family, the Nusaybah Clan, who was considered neutral in the skirmishes, was given ownership of the keys to the church.
But at this Sunday Mass, the tears, the bended knees, the radiant smiles shared by the worshippers bound them in their awe of the miracle that they believe took place on the ground beneath their feet.

03.06.2018

~ by Rashanna Lee

At 28, Brooklyn-born Becky Jaye is in Jerusalem studying to become a rabbi

In her words:

"My dad is Russian and Polish and Jewish and my mom is Christian and also Korean. We grew up going to synagogue and church all the time. There was so much respect for each other's religion. After I graduated high school I did decide to go to the mikvah and took classes at my synagogue and went through a formal conversion. I was meant to go to law school but decided to change my path and go to rabbinic school.

"I was deep into law and really wanted to go down that path and then I was with a lot of American Jews who said some really hurtful things to me about not being Jewish "enough" because my mom wasn't Jewish or because I was Korean and not white.

"It was really painful and the reason why I took those classes at the synagogue after I graduated was because I wanted to understand where these comments were really coming from. It wasn't like I walked into the synagogue and automatically felt welcome. I was really scared but I ended up falling in love with everyone there because everyone was so welcoming. That's the Judaism that I think is so important.

"In some ways, it felt like it gave me a different life. At the time, I was going through some health problems. I was having seizures all over New York City and it was terrifying. Every time I woke up after a seizure I was like, "What's most important to me?" It wasn't my job, it wasn't money, it was my family and my community. That really brought into focus for me that this was something that I really love to be a part of."

03.04.2017

~ by Kelly Powers

Kneeling on the stone floor Sunday, clutching a bundle of tissues, Gheorghe Viorica laid her other hand and forehead flat on the stone that according to tradition is where the body of Jesus Christ was prepared for burial.

Many Christians believe The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem’s Old City, is the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. The Stone of Anointing is one of many holy spots within its walls that brought Viorica from Italy to the Old City.

Viorica stares towards the entrance to the Church on March 4, 2018, as she kneels on The Stone of Anointing. Photo by Kelly Powers

Viorica knelt for nearly 20 minutes. She paused occasionally to sit up and stare into the distance as the hot Israeli sun streamed through the church’s entrance.

Viorica was luckier than many Christian pilgrims who journeyed to Jerusalem earlier in the week.

The church was closed for three days in protest of Israeli tax measures and proposed legislation and only reopened in the early morning hours on Feb. 28.

According to an article published in The Times of Israel, the churches who share custody of the Holy Sepulchre owed the equivalent of more than $186.3 million to the city on their commercial operations. Although a decades-long agreement between the churches and the state prevented the city from collecting property tax from Christian institutions, the city decided, citing a legal opinion, “the exemption for churches applies only to properties used ‘for prayer, for the teaching of religion, or for needs arising from that.’”

The Times reported that the decision to reopen the large wooden doors of the holy site followed an announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office that the government would suspend the tax collection and pending legislation while the issue is reviewed by a newly formed committee.

Filled with emotion after stepping away from the stone, Viorica struggled with her broken English to describe her visit to the church.

“So much,” she said, with a fistful of wet tissues clutched to her chest. “ didn’t even know how much.”

Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications journalism students are reporting from Israel March 3-10, 2018 as part of the annual International Reporting class now in its 10th year.

Follow their live reporting here and read in-depth stories that will be posted in the coming weeks.

Eleven students along with four faculty are traveling throughout Israel reporting on a range of social, technological and political stories as the State of Israel approaches its 70th anniversary.

Night to Shine is a prom for people over age 14 with special needs. The event debuted in Central Pennsylvania in February at Calvary Harvest Fields, a church in Boalsburg.

For many of the participants it was the first time they'd been to a prom. Among the most popular experiences was a chance for participants and their guests to grab silly things and head to the photo booth to make video portraits.

]]>2018-03-08T20:08:40+00:00See Jerusalemhttp://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/see-jerusalem
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/see-jerusalem
Photographs from around Jerusalem by photojournalist Kat Procyk. The city is home to holy sites for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Old City contains the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock.
]]>2018-03-08T16:26:58+00:00Photo Gallery: The Best Images of THON 2018http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/photo-gallery-the-best-images-of-thon-2018
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/photo-gallery-the-best-images-of-thon-2018
Images from THON 2018, documenting the 46-hour, no-sit, no-sleep, dance marathon that raised $10.1 million for the Four Diamonds Fund, benefitting families impacted by childhood cancer.

]]>2018-02-18T21:06:04+00:00THON 2018: Faces in the crowdhttp://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/thon-2018-faces-in-the-crowd
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One in four Penn State students at University Park are directly involved in the annual fund-raising spectacle called THON. During the 46 hours in which the event unfolds at the Bryce Jordan Center it dominates campus social life and media.

Madison Mehalick, 5, and Alex Buckley, a senior in Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, join a water gun fight with on the floor of the Bryce Jordan Center Saturday morning during THON 2018. Photo by Stephanie Distasio

Since its inception more than 40 years ago, the event has raised more than $100 million to benefit the families of children with cancer through direct financial support, pediatric cancer research funding and financial support of Penn State's Hershey Medical Center. This year THON raised $10,151,663.93, about $106,000 more than last year.

Here is how THON is affecting students at University Park this year, as seen through images and social media posts made by student journalists. View these posts on a timeline or in galleries below curated by day:

Timeline

Sunday: On the home stretch

All the energy inside the Bryce Jordan Center is focused on seeing the reveal of teh final fund-raising total at 4 p.m.

Saturday: Gaining momentum

Despite a scare when a chain fell from the ceiling of the Bryce Jordan Center, striking a dancer, the crowd quickly recovered. (The Daily Collegian is monitoring the condition of the dancer).

Friday: THON Begins

At 6 p.m. thousands of people packed the Bryce Jordan Center. They stood up together and THON was officially underway. Throughout the evening there was a steady stream of people waiting for their chance to enter the BJC.

]]>2018-02-18T17:04:19+00:00Photo Gallery II: THON 2018http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/photo-gallery-thon-2018-pep-rally
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More than 700 dancers stand for 46 hours at THON 2018, a student-run philanthropy committed to enhancing the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer.

This gallery documents the final day of THON. Photos from Friday and Saturday are here.

]]>2018-02-18T02:37:55+00:00Photo Gallery I: THON 2018http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/photo-gallery-i-thon-2018
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/photo-gallery-i-thon-2018
More than 700 dancers will stand for 46 hours at THON, a student-run philanthropy committed to enhancing the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer.

]]>2018-02-17T19:43:24+00:00Photo Gallery: The Creatures We Keephttp://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/the-creatures-we-keep
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/the-creatures-we-keep
Intro to Photojournalism students were assigned to photograph Penn Staters with the creatures they keep. While cats and dogs are more numerous, there are also some more unusual species that serve as pets.
]]>2018-02-16T21:47:13+00:00Penn State Students Take Precautions Against Mumpshttp://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/penn-state-students-take-precautions-against-mumps
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/penn-state-students-take-precautions-against-mumps

Penn State is now dealing with four reported cases of mumps on the University Park campus. That comes as more than 1,200 flu cases that have been confirmed in Centre County this winter. Reporter Cherish Fong has more.

]]>2018-02-16T02:15:44+00:00College Republicans and Democrats Debate Health Carehttp://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/college-republicans-and-democrats-debate-healthcare
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/college-republicans-and-democrats-debate-healthcare
The Penn State College Republicans and College Democrats debated the American health care system to a packed room in the Willard Building on Monday night.

Each side delved into issues regarding the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid in response to five questions presented by members of the University Park Undergraduate Association’s Governmental Affairs Committee. About 70 students filled the room, and State College Mayor Don Hahn made an appearance.

Compton extolled the “private option” model that operates in Arkansas, where the state received federal approval to use Medicaid funds to buy private health plans.

In rebuttal, Klipstein (freshman - political science) said citizens of states with more Medicaid funding have longer life expectancies and better quality health care. He recommended maintaining tax increases for the top 5 percent.

“We need our most well off in society to continue helping our most vulnerable,” Klipstein said. “We’re not stealing their money, we’re asking them to help us out.”

Regarding the recent rollback of employer-mandated birth control coverage, Purcell argued there were two main problems with the change. She said the Trump administration made an unfair association between risky sexual behavior and contraception accessibility, and that without requiring employers pay for birth control, they simply won’t do it.

But McCarthy (junior - political science and broadcast journalism) said the mandate’s infringement upon religious liberty makes it unconstitutional.

“Contraception is not a human right,” McCarthy said. “The policy completely prioritizes the convenience of female employees over the religious liberty of any employer or corporation.”

In response, Compton said a single-payer system results in price fixing, which leads to shortages of services. In the case of health care, he said, this could mean a canceled surgery, or placement on a lengthy waiting list to receive necessary care.

“I’d rather get care on a big bill than die on a waiting list,” Compton said.

To round out the debate, each side was asked about the prospect of bipartisan compromise. Both parties agreed on the underlying mission: to provide quality healthcare to all Americans.

“We have the same goals, with very different conceptions of those goals,” Purcell said.
Patrick Ganley, activism chair for the College Republicans, said he thought the debate was very well done.

“I think it was substantive. The Democrats made a lot of good points, but I think overall, the Republicans stayed on point, and they made the argument about how to lower costs,” Ganley (senior - education) said.

Maddie Biertempfel is a sophomore majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science. To contact her, email biertempfelm@gmail.com.

Flu season is hitting hard in our area this Winter. Jenna Scotti reports.

]]>2018-01-26T02:51:39+00:00Photo Gallery: 102nd Pennsylvania Farm Showhttp://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/photo-gallery-102nd-pennsylvania-farm-show
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/photo-gallery-102nd-pennsylvania-farm-show
Each January, hundreds of thousands of visitors come to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg for the largest indoor agricultural exposition under one roof in the nation – with nearly 6,000 animals, 10,000 competitive exhibits and 300 commercial exhibits each year.
]]>2018-01-14T02:08:34+00:00‘I am not a Monster’http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/i-am-not-a-monster2
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/i-am-not-a-monster2

Cecilia McGough has been making a global impact through viral videos and interviews about her experiences with schizophrenia and mental health advocacy before even officially launching the social business Students with Schizophrenia.

McGough contemplated committing suicide her freshman year of college after years of living with symptoms of schizophrenia. McGough chose not to be another statistic and vowed to prevent others from being defeated by their mental illness.

McGough originally studied astrophysics at Penn State. However, she discovered her passion for mental health advocacy and has founded Students with Schizophrenia. She recently changed her major to Health Policy Administration to pursue her ambition. McGough says Students with Schizophrenia is the first organization on any college campus to focus on students with schizophrenia. The organization has a goal of eliminating the stigma that follows schizophrenia and those who have it.

“The majority of people with schizophrenia are good guys,” McGough says.

One of Cecilia McGough’s hallucinations is a girl. She has long, matted black hair and often carries a knife and sometimes McGough’s childhood teddy bear. (Illustration by Colin W. Miller)

According to the updated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published to PsyCom.net, an online resource for mental health conditions, the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia includes the characteristic symptoms that are present for a significant portion of time during a one month period including two or more of the following: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, catatonic behavior or negative symptoms (i.e. lack of motivation).

McGough hopes to build a community and support system like she has at Penn State. She says strong personal relationships are “empowering” for students with schizophrenia.

“Support networks are key,” McGough says. “If I didn’t have the support network at Penn State then I really don’t feel like I would’ve been confident to maybe even found Students with Schizophrenia. I probably would’ve just dropped out and that would’ve been the end of my story.”

McGough has met a multitude of supportive friends during her time at Penn State as a student and while forming Students with Schizophrenia.

"I just see her as my friend," Abdul Al-kaf, a senior at Penn State studying Business and Liberal Arts, says.

Students with Schizophrenia is growing at a rapid pace without even being officially launched. McGough was recently featured on “Special Book by Special Kids,” an internet vlog focused on informing the world about mental and physical disabilities that McGough personally admires in November. The video has since gone viral on Facebook with over five million views. McGough’s Facebook page, “I Am Not A Monster: Schizophrenia” has over 11,000 followers while her Ted Talk of the same name has over a million views on YouTube as of December 2017.

She plans to travel to other countries to speak about her experiences. Over winter, she will be going to India for the first time. She says it's not the the travel that concerns her, she’s more nervous about meeting her boyfriend’s parents while there.

McGough says the reactions to Students with Schizophrenia have been positive from both those with and without schizophrenia. While promoting Students with Schizophrenia at the HUB-Robeson Center during Mental Health and Wellness Week at Penn State, individuals signed a banner pledging their allegiance and support for their peers with schizophrenia.

She says allies for mental health and schizophrenia are incredibly important to her cause. “They’re helping give us a voice,” McGough says.

She wants to launch Students with Schizophrenia when all proper resources including financial aid and academic assistance are available to students. However, she does take it personally when someone succumbs to their schizophrenia symptoms and takes their own life.

According to research published by the Treatment Advocacy Center in Arlington, Virginia, suicide is the number one cause of premature death for those with schizophrenia with an estimated 10 to 13 percent of individuals committing suicide.

“I have this problem of getting overly attached to individuals,” McGough says. “Especially since I’m founding something to help people who have schizophrenia, I often feel guilt around their death. And I also can relate.”

McGough says she remembers speaking with a class at Penn State and found out afterwards a student in the class had committed suicide because of their schizophrenia symptoms.

"I was too late for her," McGough says.

According to McGough, every experience with schizophrenia is unique. She says she personally has had vivid visual and auditory hallucinations. She says she also hallucinates tastes. Her symptoms started to worsen around her junior year of high school.

“My experience with schizophrenia is like living in a nightmare,” McGough says. “I’m just someone who cannot turn off their nightmares even though I’m awake.”

McGough says her most common hallucination is a clown that strongly resembles Tim Curry in the 1990 adaption of Stephen King’s “It” and a ghoulish woman with matted, long black hair that wears a nightgown and carries a knife and McGough’s childhood teddy bear. She also sees spiders.

McGough’s biological family tried to prevent her from receiving treatment and tried to deny her symptoms, thinking it would hurt her chances of getting employment. She felt more isolated as her symptoms intensified throughout her freshman year of college.

“I just felt alone,” McGough says. “I felt trapped. I felt like no one would understand me or accept me, and even worse, I felt people were going to be scared of me.”

After being treated by medical professionals and seeing results, McGough now strongly advocates for proper and immediate medical attention for those experiencing schizophrenia symptoms.

McGough believes both her college and high school experience would have been different if she had an organization like Students with Schizophrenia. Though she feels like she was meant to be the one to start it.

“I honestly feel like it’s my calling to found Students with Schizophrenia,” McGough says. “I really realized there was this huge void in the support for the people who have schizophrenia.”

McGough has one message for the world and is spreading it through her transparency and dedication to her cause.

“My name is Cecilia McGough,” McGough says. “I have schizophrenia, and I am not a monster.”

An unexpected meeting

Cecilia McGough met one of her inspirations, Chris Ulmer of “Special Books by Special Kids,” while promoting Students with Schizophrenia during Mental Health and Wellness Week at the HUB-Robeson Center at Penn State. Ulmer asks McGough to be interviewed which she doesn’t hesitate to agree to. The video has since gotten over five million views.

Fighting the 'bullies'

John Dziak, a friend of Cecilia McGough, describes what is like to not being able to help McGough when she experiences her symptoms of schizophrenia.

The impact of schizophrenia

There are both financial and human costs for people with schizophrenia and those who care for them.

Penn State senior Cat Paletta is seeking the meaning in all of her interactions, experiences, and tribulations. Although Paletta has had her fair share of death and heartbreak, she looks deeper into these obstacles to realize she would not be who she was today without them.

]]>2017-12-16T01:17:11+00:00Medic saves his own lifehttp://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/medic-saves-his-own-life
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/medic-saves-his-own-life
In May 2013 Adam Hartswick was on his second tour as an Army medic based near Kandahar, Afganistan. After saving many lives Hartswick was faced with the challenge of saving his own life after an improvised explosive device detonated near him.

Hartswick was responding to a call from a second platoon, which had been hit by IEDs, killing four of the soldiers. He was on the rescue mission against advice. Hartswicj said he hails from a military family had dedicated his life to serving by saving lives as an Army medic.

In the moment when the IEDs exploded Hartswick said time stopped for him. Initially Hartswick said he accepted he was going to die. As a soldier death was a certainty he had learned to live with.

Hartswick said he knew how to save his life, but couldn't physically do it.

With Hartswick's instruction his platoon leader was able to apply tourniquets to both of his legs.

It’s been four years since Hartswick was wounded in Afghanistan, losing both his legs and the trigger finger on his right hand.

Hartswick was transported to two hospitals in Afghanistan, then one Germany and eventually was flown to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland, where he was reunited wth his parents.

Hartswick said that his parents were vital to his recuperation, providing a support system that helped him when he needed it most.

His parents had been divorced since he was a year old. During his recovery he said they hugged for the first time since their separation.

Hartswick had to undergo numerous surgeries and rigorous physical therapy to be able to walk again with prosthetics.

According to Hartswick he was contacted by Craig Hall, owner of Techline Technologies Inc, who had heard his story and was impressed by his quick response in an intense situation. Hall hired Hartswick for whenever he was ready to start working.

For the last year Hartswick has been working with Techline Technologies Inc, teaching first responders the skills needed to respond to a terrorist attack or active shooter situation. Through his job Hartswick said he has regained a sense purpose—teaching people to save lives.

Hartswick entered the military straight out high school. In addition to working at Techline Technologies he is attending Penn State and just completed his first semester as a part-time student. Hartswick is undecided about his major but said he is hopes to study kinesiology.

'Stubbies or Shorties'

Adam Hartswick is a double above-knee amputee who uses “stubbies” to get around his house and work out. Hartswick uses stubbies because it's easier to wear than prosthetics with flexible knees when he needs to move around to complete simple tasks.

]]>2017-12-15T22:27:13+00:00The Freshman Fifteen (NatSound)http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/the-freshman-fifteen-natsound
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/the-freshman-fifteen-natsound
The "freshman fifteen" is a common stigma associated with weight gain amongst college students during their first year on campus. Seniors Rob Gueriera and Courtney Costello discuss their experience with the freshman fifteen, how they define it, and offer some advice to other college students.
]]>2017-12-13T21:26:56+00:00Change of Coach Impacts Player Psychehttp://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/change-of-coach-impacts-player-psyche
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/change-of-coach-impacts-player-psyche
The change of a head coach can often impact an athlete's mental psyche which can have an impact on the way a player competes on the field of play. The women's club hockey team has changed its coaching staff. Former head coach Patrick Fung has left the program and Jeremy Bean has taken over. Dr. Carl Ohlson, assistant director of sports psychology at Penn State, discusses some of the factors that impact a coach-player relationship. Bean discusses the relationship and attitude he hopes to bring to his team this season.
]]>2017-12-13T19:07:46+00:00Finding Family on Ice (Public Affairs PKG)http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/finding-family-on-ice-public-affairs-pkg
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/finding-family-on-ice-public-affairs-pkg
The Penn State women's club hockey program is in a transitioning period this season since former head coach Patrick Fung left the program to pursue other career desires. Current head coach Jeremy Bean is working towards creating a culture that fits his personality and what he thinks will best reflect his philosophy as a student and hockey player. Bean along with a few others discuss the elements that play a factor in the way a team's culture is built.
]]>2017-12-13T18:47:58+00:00Election Day 2017http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/election-day-2017
http://commedia.psu.edu/news/story/election-day-2017
Bellefonte high school senior Olivia Perryman was one of 86 high school students that volunteered their time during Election Day in Centre County. Perryman spent the day at Precinct 49 at The Heights at State College from open to close helping sign people in.
]]>2017-12-11T19:56:56+00:00